my poor itchy babies - Page 4

Are you applying topical insectide?

Head shaking is usually a sign of an infection please ask your vet for BKT.

I tend to disagree with those saying this is mites but hey what do I know. I will lay money on a food/environmental allergy.

And I too have been using Ivermectin for at least 20 years and never had a problem,
Is there possibly anything that is causing high pitched tones ringing in your dogs ears?
Are you near the army base or anything like airport or something similar?
It is peculiar that both dogs are experiencing same symptoms with no obvious reason.
Please do let us know when you figure it out.
AND,how is the boy doing now other than itchy ears.
Did he pull himself together weight and size wise?

My dogs are in the house on a walk or in a fences in back yard i dont trust ppl or their pets, thier not scratchin the inside of ear, only the oitside, female has started scratchin ribs, for now i live by myself, and habe frequent company noone has itched ever. The have had yest inf before, and been treated can yest imf be on ribs?

  I believe what Moons is refering to with the Ivermectin, is that herding breeds have a genetic predisposition to having sensitivity reactions to that drug.. Some dogs have bad reactions to Ivermectin, blindness, neurological issues, coma, death.. It has to do with the medicine passing the blood / brain barrier..
  I've used Ivermectin on my dogs, for heartworm prevention. The dogs that have sensitivity, it has to do with their genetics, so if your dog is fine with taking it once, as long as it's dosed correctly should be fine for continued use. It is a cheap and effective drug, just becareful and watch your dog carefully after it is given.. I use Ivermectin for my horses, much cheaper to buy in livestock packaging, than packaged for dogs.. Just make sure you dose it correctly for your dog's weight, and watch carefully for any reactions, I'd recomend giving it during normal hours for your vet, just incase dog has reaction, you're not looking at after hours, emergency vet bill..

Im not knowledgable enough...... Im NOT takin a crap shoot wit my dogs health, if it can hurt them in my mind it will im more lookin for advice to take to my vet, im not administering meds to my dog, thats y i make enough money for vet. I just. Know vets can be trial an error and dont wanna waste money while vet " try this try this try this"

Mario, that's how they make their living. The vets will be glad to go through the list and take your money....the obvious is usually last. Whatever works.

erin_j: the MDR1 mutation leads to sensitivity with multiple drugs, including ivermectin, but is not herding breed specific. Here is a list of known affected breeds http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/breeds.aspx. I have yet to be convinced that the mutated gene is found in the typical German and European bloodlines at all. In breeds that have a high risk of being affected, I absolutely recommend testing for the gene prior to administering almost any of the potential problem drugs, rather than take a watch and wait approach. The consequences of giving, for example, Imodium, to a mutant/mutant Collie can be fatal. However, while ivermectin can be fatal to mutant/mutant dogs at the doses needed to treat mange, several studies have found that the doses given as a monthly heartworm preventative have no negative effects in even the mutant/mutant dogs.

Can you show us pictures, please? Is hair missing or you're just saying they scratch so hard they're losing small amounts of hair (ie, undercoat, as if they were being brushed)? Flea allergies cause itching like that; I had an old Sighthound X that picked up maybe ONE flea on a road trip- I say maybe one because I never saw a flea on him, no one else ever got them, but I know there was a problem with them where we were, and I know Slim was allergic- anyway, he was A MESS from just slight exposure. I mean, breaking out in nasty spots, bald patches, could hardly sleep he was itching so badly, crying when he scratched himself...a MESS. If your dogs are both miserable like that, a flea allergy would be more common for both of them to have than a food allergy. Food allergies are really not that common in dogs. Environmental and flea allergies are much more common. How were they transported and how long ago did you get back into the states? 

They are missing hair because they are scratching it out, i will take pics soon, they flew on the plane with me, in march/13